Can't predict an earthquake? Boxer Santa Cruz dispels that notion

The nickname "Terremoto," or earthquake, came at an early age for Leo Santa Cruz.

"I think I was 9 years old," Santa Cruz said of when he was first labeled with the nickname. "One guy (at the gym) saw me and he started calling me 'Terremoto' because I threw a lot of punches and I never stopped and I kept coming and coming."

Some habits are difficult to break. Santa Cruz's aggressive style is making him a favorite for fight fans.

The IBF bantamweight champion from Lincoln Heights will make the second defense of his title Saturday night from Staples Center when he faces Victor Zaleta on the undercard of the Abner Mares-Anselmo Moreno fight.

In June, Santa Cruz (21-0-1, 12 KOs) put this style on display at The Home Depot Center when he faced Vusi Malinga for the vacant IBF belt. Santa Cruz smothered Malinga from the outset, constantly pressuring him throughout the fight.

By the end of the fight, which Santa Cruz won by unanimous decision, he inflicted his damage on Malinga. He threw 1,350 punches, connecting on 410. and landed 327 power punches, according to CompuBox.

In September, veteran Eric Morel stepped into the path of Terremoto and it wasn't pretty. Santa Cruz demolished Morel, forcing him to quit on his stool after the fifth round.

"That was our goal," Santa Cruz said of the Morel stoppage. "Because no one had ever stopped him ... and for me to stop him, that was a great victory for me.

"Me and my dad (who also serves as his trainer), we trained really hard in the gym, we worked the mitts and the body shots a lot, because not a lot of people can take the body shots."

Santa Cruz wasted little time getting back in the gym after the Morel fight.

"One week after my fights, I always go back to training," he said. "I always want to be ready, so whenever they need me, I will be ready to give them what they want."

The calls are coming early now. There is talk of Santa Cruz coming back next month, if he gets through Saturday night unscathed.

Santa Cruz is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions.

"The longer they (promoters) keep me busy, the more the people are getting to know me and the more exposure I'm getting," he said. "A lot more people are recognizing me. They like how I fight and that's why I'm here, to give the fans what they want and I'm going to be here for a long time."

NOTES

Tickets for Saturday's card at Staples Center can be purchased at the Staples Center Box Office, starting at $25. Also on the card is junior-middleweight Alfredo Angulo making his return against Raul Casarez. ...

2012 U.S. Olympians Dominic Breazeale, Marcus Browne, Terrel Gausha, Errol Spence and Rau'Shee Warren are all making their professional debuts Friday night at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio. Their fights, along with Gary Russell Jr. fighting against Roberto Castaneda, will be shown on Showtime's ShoBox series, starting at 10 p.m. (delayed). ...